FBI warns against using public phone charging stations

[pmbug]

The FBI recently warned consumers against using free public charging stations, saying crooks have managed to hijack public chargers that can infect devices with malware, or software that can give hackers access to your phone, tablet or computer.

"Avoid using free charging stations in airports, hotels or shopping centers," a tweet from the FBI's Denver field office said. "Bad actors have figured out ways to use public USB ports to introduce malware and monitoring software onto devices. Carry your own charger and USB cord and use an electrical outlet instead."
...

FBI warns against using public phone charging stations

The law enforcement agency said bad actors had figured out how to infect phones with malware using public charging cables.

www.cnbc.com

 

[spinalcracker]

FBI warns against using public phone charging stations

The law enforcement agency said bad actors had figured out how to infect phones with malware using public charging cables.

www.cnbc.com

as long as it aint the gubmint spying on us we are safe

right?

 

[Joe King]

For anyone who might ever be in the position of needing to use one of these charging stations, just get a "charge-only" cable and use that.

If forced to use their cable, there is a device that is available that goes between your phone and their cord that will make it charge-only. I can't recall the name of it, but I saw it in a youtube vid about electronic security devices.
If I can find it again, I'll post the vid.

 

[Casey Jones]

I do one better.

I don't have a misnamed "Smart" phone. And even when I did, I did no banking on it; didn't get email on it; and my web surfing was limited to Google Maps.

I had it for work, and then later to run Uber. Before they got Jab-Happy with their mandates...that's over now. Yeah, and to run a wi-fi hotspot.

Only a matter of time, I think, until I cut off the cellular dumbphone, too.

 

[Joe King]

there is a device that is available that goes between your phone and their cord that will make it charge-only.

It's called Data Blocker. A two pack can be had fo $12.
It comes up towards the end of this vid, but the whole vid is very interesting, as it discusses compromised usb cables and how to ID one.

They look just like normal cables, but can contain all manner of eavesdropping/spy technology. Including wifi/cell capabilities, microphones and gps trackers.

They can inject malware and/or false data into a device.
....and are now cheap enough that anyone can afford them.

 

[Joe King]

This isn't about charging stations, but rather about your phone's battery, and I found it very informative. I thought others might too.
....and this was the newest thread about cell phones I could find, so here it is.

Specifically, if it is a DC battery, why does it have more than two contacts? Every regular DC battery only has two. A pos and a neg. Yet your phone battery has three. Some even have four.

The short answer is that helps the battery to not explode in your pocket. Or anywhere else for that matter.
....and it also explains why some after-market batteries can be dangerous. I'd always heard that they could be, but I never knew why. Now I do.

It's not terribly long.